1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a far-side airbag apparatus that protects an occupant sitting on a vehicle seat apart from a side wall by deploying and inflating an airbag between adjacent vehicle seats in a case where a side impact is applied to the side wall portion of a vehicle such as a car.
2. Description of the Related Art
A far-side airbag apparatus may be mounted in a car in which multiple car seats are provided side by side in a car width direction. This type of airbag apparatus includes an airbag and a gas generator disposed inside the airbag. The airbag and the gas generator are assembled into a side portion of a seatback of a car seat, which is close to an adjacent car seat.
In a case where a side impact is applied to a side wall portion such as a side door of the car due to side collision or the like, inflating gas is ejected from the gas generator. The airbag is deployed and inflated between the car seat and the adjacent car seat due to the inflating gas. The upper body of an occupant, who sits on the car seat apart from the side wall portion to which the impact is applied, falls toward the side wall portion, is encountered by the airbag, and is protected from impact.
JP-A-2008-37280 discloses one form of the far-side airbag apparatus. The airbag of the far-side airbag apparatus includes a pair of fabric portions which are disposed in the car width direction. A partition portion is provided in the airbag, and partitions the airbag into multiple portions. Partition portions are formed such that both of the fabric portions are joined together by stitching both of the fabric portions while being in contact with each other. The partition portion restricts the inflation thickness of the airbag in the car width direction.
In the far-side airbag apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2008-37280, the partition portion extends close to a rear end portion of the airbag. A portion between a rear end portion of the partition portion and the rear end portion of the airbag does not have sufficiently high rigidity.
For this reason, when the airbag encounters the occupant who falls toward the side wall portion to which the impact is applied, a forward force is applied to the airbag, and a low rigidity portion of the airbag is folded due to the force. As a result, an effect of receiving the upper body of the occupant decreases, which is a problem.